Lainey drew in a quick breath.
“Thanks. If I’d known she wanted me to buy the whole store, I would’ve insisted she bring us a car.”
“I’m sure she appreciates this.” Jon shifted the weight in his hands. “So, why are you dreading tomorrow?”
She stopped walking and shifted the brown paper bag. “What are you talking about?”
“There’s a red circle on the date in the kitchen. Your family wouldn’t talk about it.”
Lainey tried to swallow, but couldn’t. “It’s none of your business.”
Jon’s mouth twitched at the corner, and his eyes darted to the grocery bag. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. We can talk about something else.”
Lainey kept her eyes down, listening to her sandals slapping the sidewalk. A part of her wanted to spill everything, but the other part wanted to puke on his shoes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just that I don’t want to talk about tomorrow. Not yet.”
Lainey tried to blow the hair out of her eyes, but the strands kept blowing back. Jon noticed and stepped closer. Her heart pounded as his fingers gently tucked her hair behind her ear.
“You’re allowed to have secrets, but don’t let those secrets define who you are.” He smiled as his hand dropped.
She nodded. “I haven’t told anyone. I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“You’ll know when you are. Trust me.”
*~*~*
Once dinner was eaten, Jon and Lainey’s family sat down to play Uno at the kitchen table. Lainey watched for a bit. Her heart wasn’t in it. Jon kept glancing in her direction, but she pretended not to notice, even though every time their eyes met she felt like laughing or puking. The sound of a hand slapping the table jarred Lainey’s thoughts. Jon laughed as he twitched in his chair and moved his yellow “draw two” card forward.
“Why are you so full of excitement?” Peter drew two cards from the deck. “Lain, what did you give him?”
It took her a moment to realize. “Oh, we went for coffee today. He said he’d never had any before.”
Her stepdad laughed as he shook his head. “I’d say you’re on a bit of a caffeine buzz, Jon. Luckily it’ll wear off soon.”
“I feel like I could run a marathon.”
The guy could barely walk without stubbing his toes. She laughed at the mental image as Mom lay down a wild card, changing the color to red. Rachel drew a card.
“It’s your turn, Jon.” Rachel grabbed a handful of M&M’s from the bowl at the center of the table. “Jon?”
Lainey glanced up from rearranging the discard pile. Jon’s gaze was focused out the kitchen window. The last yellow light from the sun disappeared beyond the watery horizon. His eyebrows tightened and she swore his hands trembled slightly. It only lasted for a second before Jon turned and smiled at Rachel, plucking a wild card from his hand.
“Sorry, I was enjoying the sunset. It’s beautiful.” He picked blue as his color and leaned back in his chair.
His posture was tense as he waited for his next turn, and his skin seemed a little pale. Lainey knew. She wasn’t the only one with a secret.
Lainey’s mom and Peter wanted to take the next day off work, and Lainey begged them not to. It wouldn’t exactly help. She wanted to be alone. Jon didn’t know what was going on, and Rachel took him to the swimming pool to give Lainey some time alone. Lainey didn’t move from her bed until silence filled the house. She slowly rolled to her feet and went to the closet, pulling out her black lace dress. It would have to do. She dug around in her sock drawer until she found the small jewelry box. The lid was dusty. She slowly opened it, and pulled out the dolphin necklace. It was a blue jeweled dolphin on a silver chain with a single word below the animal. Best .
Once she was dressed, Lainey walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Two red roses rested on the table. Lainey knew her mother had bought them for her. Not bothering with shoes, she
“Thanks. If I’d known she wanted me to buy the whole store, I would’ve insisted she bring us a car.”
“I’m sure she appreciates this.” Jon shifted the weight in his hands. “So, why are you dreading tomorrow?”
She stopped walking and shifted the brown paper bag. “What are you talking about?”
“There’s a red circle on the date in the kitchen. Your family wouldn’t talk about it.”
Lainey tried to swallow, but couldn’t. “It’s none of your business.”
Jon’s mouth twitched at the corner, and his eyes darted to the grocery bag. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. We can talk about something else.”
Lainey kept her eyes down, listening to her sandals slapping the sidewalk. A part of her wanted to spill everything, but the other part wanted to puke on his shoes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just that I don’t want to talk about tomorrow. Not yet.”
Lainey tried to blow the hair out of her eyes, but the strands kept blowing back. Jon noticed and stepped closer. Her heart pounded as his fingers gently tucked her hair behind her ear.
“You’re allowed to have secrets, but don’t let those secrets define who you are.” He smiled as his hand dropped.
She nodded. “I haven’t told anyone. I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“You’ll know when you are. Trust me.”
*~*~*
Once dinner was eaten, Jon and Lainey’s family sat down to play Uno at the kitchen table. Lainey watched for a bit. Her heart wasn’t in it. Jon kept glancing in her direction, but she pretended not to notice, even though every time their eyes met she felt like laughing or puking. The sound of a hand slapping the table jarred Lainey’s thoughts. Jon laughed as he twitched in his chair and moved his yellow “draw two” card forward.
“Why are you so full of excitement?” Peter drew two cards from the deck. “Lain, what did you give him?”
It took her a moment to realize. “Oh, we went for coffee today. He said he’d never had any before.”
Her stepdad laughed as he shook his head. “I’d say you’re on a bit of a caffeine buzz, Jon. Luckily it’ll wear off soon.”
“I feel like I could run a marathon.”
The guy could barely walk without stubbing his toes. She laughed at the mental image as Mom lay down a wild card, changing the color to red. Rachel drew a card.
“It’s your turn, Jon.” Rachel grabbed a handful of M&M’s from the bowl at the center of the table. “Jon?”
Lainey glanced up from rearranging the discard pile. Jon’s gaze was focused out the kitchen window. The last yellow light from the sun disappeared beyond the watery horizon. His eyebrows tightened and she swore his hands trembled slightly. It only lasted for a second before Jon turned and smiled at Rachel, plucking a wild card from his hand.
“Sorry, I was enjoying the sunset. It’s beautiful.” He picked blue as his color and leaned back in his chair.
His posture was tense as he waited for his next turn, and his skin seemed a little pale. Lainey knew. She wasn’t the only one with a secret.
Lainey’s mom and Peter wanted to take the next day off work, and Lainey begged them not to. It wouldn’t exactly help. She wanted to be alone. Jon didn’t know what was going on, and Rachel took him to the swimming pool to give Lainey some time alone. Lainey didn’t move from her bed until silence filled the house. She slowly rolled to her feet and went to the closet, pulling out her black lace dress. It would have to do. She dug around in her sock drawer until she found the small jewelry box. The lid was dusty. She slowly opened it, and pulled out the dolphin necklace. It was a blue jeweled dolphin on a silver chain with a single word below the animal. Best .
Once she was dressed, Lainey walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Two red roses rested on the table. Lainey knew her mother had bought them for her. Not bothering with shoes, she
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